The U.S. State Department, through its Office of Space Affairs, plays a crucial role in shaping international space policy and promoting American leadership in space exploration, commercialization, and utilization. It leads diplomatic efforts to foster a rules-based international framework for space activities, including the Artemis Accords, and works to strengthen collaborations with other spacefaring nations and international organizations. The Department also focuses on using space-based capabilities to address global challenges and advance U.S. foreign policy objectives. Key partners include NASA, NOAA, USGS, and the National Space Council; associated keywords are space diplomacy, international cooperation, space policy, and commercial space.
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A U.S. State Department memo from April 2025 noted that allies are being urged to exclude untrusted satellite providers based in China to protect national security.
John Thompson, the senior bureau official at the State Department’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, emphasized the importance of the principles of the Accords.
NASA and the State Department jointly oversee the document outlining best practices for sustainable space exploration.
Latvia has not yet signed the Artemis Accords, and therefore is not considered part of the Artemis Accords family by NASA and the State Department.
The US State Department expressed deep concern about regulatory burdens on US providers of space services to European customers.
Scott Woodard from the US State Department stated that the proposed regulations could stifle innovation and exclude US participation.
The State Department's submission on the EU Space Act involved input from more than 70 companies and trade associations.
The U.S. State Department has urged allies to avoid business with Chinese satellite firms to prevent fueling military development and intelligence gathering.
The Office of Space Commerce, in coordination with the Department of State, solicited feedback from USG agencies and commercial stakeholders on the draft EU Space Act.
The U.S. position, developed by the State Department, consulted with over 70 companies and associations in the sector.
The US State Department released its comments on the proposed EU Space Act on 4 November 2025.
The US State Department's response warns that the EU Space Act would impose unacceptable regulatory burdens on US companies.
The US State Department has issued a formal response to the EU's proposed EU Space Act.
The US State Department pointed out that if the EU Space Act supersedes existing national regulations and international agreements, it could hinder bilateral projects in the space industry.
The US State Department criticized the proposed legislation as being contrary to earlier agreements between the US and Europe.
The US State Department noted that non-tariff barriers would challenge areas such as space weather, remote sensing, space exploration, spaceflight safety, space debris mitigation and remediation, communications, and cooperation with the European Space Agency.
The US State Department criticized regulatory burdens for being anti-innovation due to their prohibitive costs, especially for smaller companies and startups.
The comments from the US State Department reflect concerns shared by European space industry leaders regarding the EU Space Act.
The US State Department stated that the EU Space Act could create a hostile environment for collaboration and innovation between the US and Europe.
The US State Department focused on ensuring that EU Space Act regulations would not apply to US businesses operating in Europe or launching European payloads.